Automatic tightener for bed-springs.



PATENTBD JUNE 19, 1906:

. v H. THAYER. AUTOMATIC TIGHTENBR FOR BED SPRINGS.

APPLICATION nun JAN. 22. 1906.

2 slums-SHEET z.

Jd'r ne s. H1. 77; a/yerz' munzw. B. Gam m cm. PNOTD-LITMDGRAFHERSwnswusmn a c ,tion on the' bed-frame or removed therefrom: parts will behidden from rarnnir orrion.

. JAMES H. THAYER, o-F oHroAGo, fLLINOI'S'Z AUTOMATIC? rreHrEN-Ensonszo- -s-pmines.

' Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented aims is, reset To all whom, it mety courier-11 ener. Fig.7 is ahorizontal sectional view Be it known that I JA-ME-S H. THAYER, athereof. Fig.8 is an enlarged view in elevacitizen of the UnitedStates,- residing-at Chi tion" of a portion of one of thesupportingcago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi nois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in-Automatic Tighteners forBed-Springs, of which the following is a be'dsteads for automaticallystretching or tightening; the web or wire fabric which sus= tains the'mattress and the bedclothes and which web or fabric may be of woven wireor other suitable material and of the ordinary or any preferredconstruction; and it consists in certain peculiarities of theconstruction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various partsthereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specificallyclaimed;-

The principal object of theinvention is to provide an apparatus of theabove-named character which shall-be simple and inexpemj sive inconstruction, strong, durable,- and ef-" fective in operation, and whichshall be so made that it may be readily placed in posi and when in useits view.

Other objects and advantages. of the invention will-be disclosed in thesubj oined de sc'riptioi'r and explanation. f K

In order-to enable'others skilled in the art to which invention pertainsi to make and use the same, I will now proceed todescribe it, referringto the accompanying drawin s;

in which- I a Figure 1 is a-view in sideelevation of ab'ed, showing anautomatic tightener for" theweb, fabric, or woven-Wire" mattressembodying my invention mounted thereon with the parts thereof in theirnormal positions; 2is a view, partly in elevation and partly insection,takenon line 2 2' ofFig flOoki-rigirithe direction of thc'arrowsg ofa-porti'on of the web or mattress-supporting fabricand parts 1 of thetightener. Fig. 3 is-a-rear end el'eva tionof the-partsshown i-nFig-L2.- Fig. iis; across-sectional view taken on line 4-4: of Fig. 1 lookingin the direction indicated by the arrows.- Fig.- 5 i's'a similar viewtaken on line 5 5 of Fig. I looki ng in the direction in dicatedby thearrows. Fig.6is an' outer face view of'one ofthepairsof gears" andratch'e't wheel'sgusedgont-the" windingshaftof the;tight cated at thehead of the bed, and Fig.- 10 isa similar view of one of the brackets-ofsaid frame located at the foot of the bed-frame.

I Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout thedlffere'nt views of the drawings.

' The reference-numerals 15, and 16; des g hate the upright portions ofthe head and foot, respectively, of the'bed, which portions are unitedby the longitudinal and parallel side rails 17 in the ordinary or anywell-known manner, which rails are preferably made of angle-iron, as isclearly shown in- Figs. i and 5 of the drawings',:butinay be of othershape,

if desired. Mounted on the side'- rails 1-7 of the" bed-frame and;between the same isthe ti'ghtener frame, which consists of twolongitudinal and parallel sideirails 1 8 which in the resent instance Ihave shownas-being. tubuar or circular in cross-section, but which ma beof other form, and means transver sel'y' uniting the members 18 at ornear their endsnand' to' hold them at a sufficient distance apart topermit the tightener-frame tobe inserted between-the side rails 17 ofthe bed-frame.

Mounted on thefront end of each of the rails I8 is a bracket 19,- eachof which has on its outer surface a horizontal extens1orr20 to rest onthe upper surface of the side rail 17 of the bed and each of. which hasonits inner I surface an. extension 21 provided with an opening- 22to-re'c'eiye' the front end of the ra1l 18', as will be clearlyunderstood by reference to- Figs; 5 and 9" of the drawings.

- he upper inner portion .of brackets l 9 is provided with-a vertlcalrlb 23, terminating at its lower end with a lateral and horizontaloffset 24z on each s1'd'e'thereof. The rib' 23* is provided'withopeningsto receive b'oltsused for securing: the clamp ng bars 26* and 27" attheir ends to sald- 11135. These claniping barsextend transversely ofthe rails 18; as shown in Fig; 5', andconsti .tut'ea part of thetightener-frame,- but. a e

IOO

each of the employed for the further purpose of securing and sustainingthe front end of the web, fabric, or woven-wire mattress 28, which isinterposed at its front end between said bars, as is clearly shown inFig. 1 of the drawings. Mounted on the rear or foot end of each of theside rails 18 of the tightener-frame is a bracket 29 each of which hason its inner surface an inward extension 30, provided with an opening 31to receive the rear ends of the rails 18, as will be clearly understoodby reference to Figs. 1, 4, and 10 of the drawings.

Each of the brackets 29 has on its outer surface a horizontal andoutward extension 32 to rest on the rails 17 of the bed-frame.

Each of the brackets 29 is provided with openings or bearings 33 and 34for the stubshafts 35 of the ratchets and gears mounted on the ends ofthe winding-shaft and operating-shaft, the former of which is preferablymade of two pieces 36, semicircular in crosssection, as shown in Fig. 2of the drawings. The members 36 of the winding-shaft 37 are preferablyenlarged from their ends to their middle portions, as shown in Fig. 4,and have interposed between their flat surfaces the foot or rear end ofthe fabric 28 and are secured together by means of screw-bolts 38, so asto clamp the fabric therebetween, as will be readily understood byreference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Secured on each end of the winding-shaft 37 is a combined ratchet-wheel39 and gear 40, which are preferably formed integral, as shown in Figs.6 and 7, but may be made separately, yet each rigidly mounted on saidshaft. When formed integrally, each of the gears 40 is provided with asocketed hub 41 to receive the ends of the members 36 of thewinding-shaft 37.

Each of the ratchet-wheels 39 is provided on its outer surface with astub-shaft 35 to fit in the openings 33 of the brackets 29, so as torotatably support the shaft 37 therebetween. Mounted on each end of theoperating-shaft 42 is a ratchet 39 and 40, which may be of the sameconstruction as those used on the winding-shaft and above described.

Each of the ratchet-wheels 39 on the operating-shaft has on its outersurface a stubshaft 35 to fit in the bearings 34 of the brackets 29, soas to rotatably support the shaft 42 between said brackets and in such amanner that the gears 40 on the operating-shaft will mesh with the gears40 on the winding-shaft.

Pivotally secured to each of the brackets 29 rearwardly from theratchet-wheels 40 on the winding-shaft is a pawl 43, which are held inloose engagement with the ratchets 39 on said shaft by means of springs44, secured on said brackets. Loosely mounted at one of their ends onthe operating-shaft 42 near each of its ends and between the rails 18 ofthe tightener-frame are levers 45, which extend forwardly to about themiddle of the bed-frame and have their front or free ends upturned, asis shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

Pivotally secured to the upturned ends of the levers 45 is a transversebar 46, which lies horizontally under the fabric 28 and may be attachedthereto by means of staples or rivets 47 or otherwise.

Each of the levers 45 has pivoted thereon near its secured end a pawl48, which are held in loose engagement with the ratchet-wheels 39 on theshaft 42 by means of springs 49, which are secured on said levers.

. While I have shown the winding-shaft 37 as being constructed of twosemicircular members 36 and have illustrated the fabric 28 as beingclamped between said members, yet I do not desire to be limited to sucha construction of the shaft or the manner of securing the fabricthereto, as it is evident that the shaft may be made cylindrical and ofone piece only and the fabric fastened thereto in any desired manner.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be seen andclearly understood that when the parts of the tightencr are assembled,as above set forth, the tightener-frame carrying the winding-shaft andoperating-shaft which serve to connect the rear ends of the side rails18 and form a part of said frame may be placed between the side rails 17of the bed-frame, so that the extensions 20 and 32 of the brackets 19and 29 respectively, will rest on the upper surface of the rails of thebed-frame, and as the fabric 28 is secured at its front end between thetransverse bars 26 and 27 and at its rear end to the winding-shaft 37said fabric will be supported at a slight distance above the bedframe,as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the parts are thusarranged, it is apparent that the levers 45, which support thetransverse bar 46, will lie in a horizontal position until a sufficientamount of weight-for instance, the body of a personis placed on thefabric 28 to depress them, when, by reason of the pawls 48, which theycarry, engaging the ratchet-wheels 39 on the operating-shaft, said shaftwill be partially rotated, thus through the instrui'nentality of thegears 40 on the operating-shaft and the gears 40 on the winding-shaft,which mesh with one another, will cause the lastnamed shaft to bepartially rotated, thus taking up any undue slackness in the web orfabric 28 and holding the same taut, for it is apparent that the pawls43, which engage the ratchets on the winding-shaft, will prevent thereverse movement thereof.

By tapering the winding-shaft 37 from its middle to its ends it isevident that the tension or strain on the middle portion of the fabricwill thereby be increased so as to prevent the same sagginglongitudinally at tated. While I have shown the tightener provided withtwo levers and. gears and ratchet-wheels at each of the ends of theshafts and prefer to so construct the apparatus, yet in some instances Imay omit one of said levers and one of the said gears andratchet-wheels.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a bed-spring-tightener, the combina tion with the tightener-frame,of,a windingshaft transversely journaled thereon at one of its ends, apinion onone end of said shaft, a web or fabric secured at one of itsends to one end of the frame and at its other end to the shaft, a pinionjournaled on the frame and meshing with the pinion on the windingshaft,a ratchet-wheel j ournaled to move in unison with the last-named pinion,a lever fulcrumed at one of it s ends and having its other endadapted-to engage the fabric, and a pawl on 'said lever to engage theratchetwheel, substantially as described. I

2. In a bed-spring tightener, the combination with the tightener-frame,of a windingshaft and an operating-shaft transversely journaled thereonin parallelism, intermeshing gears and ratchet-wheels on one of the endsof said shafts, a Web or fabric secured at one of its ends to one end ofsaid frame and at its other end to the winding-shaft, a lever mounted atone of its ends on the operatingshaft and in engagement at its other endwith the web or fabric, and a pawl on the lever to engagetheratchet-wheel on the operating-shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a bed-spring tightener, the combination with the tightener-frame,of a windingshaft and operating-shaft transversely j ournaled thereon inparallelism, intermeshing gears and ratchet-wheels on one of the. endsof said shafts, a spring-pressed pawl to engage the ratchet-wheel on theWinding-shaft, a web or fabric secured'at one of its ends to one end ofsaid frame and at its other end to the winding-shaft, a lever mountedatone of its ends on the operating-shaft and in engage- I ment at itsother end with the web or fabric,

and a pawl on the lever to. engage the ratchetwheel on theoperating-shaft, substantially as described.

4. In a bed-spring tightener, the combination with the tightener-frame,of a windingshaft and operating-shaft transversely journaled thereon inparallelism, intermeshing gears and ratchet-wheels on both of the endsof said shafts, a web or fabric secured at one of its ends to one end ofsaid frame and at its other end to the winding-shaft, springpressedpawls to engage the ratchets on the v winding-shaft, a lever mounted atone of its ends on the operating-shaft near each of its ends, a bartransversely uniting the other ends of the levers and adapted to engagethe fabric, and spring-pressed pawls on'the lever to engage theratchet-wheels on the operating-shaft, substantially as described.

5. Ina bed-spring tightener,. the combination with the tightener-frame,of a windingshaft tapered from its middle toward each of its ends and anoperating-shaft journaled transversely on said frame near one of itsends, intermeshing gears and ratchet-wheels on both of the ends of saidshafts, a web or fabric secured at one of its ends to one end of saidframe and at its other end to the winding-shaft, spring-pressedpawls toengage the ratchet-wheels on the winding-shaft, a lever mounted atone ofits'ends on the operatingshaft near each of its ends, a bar pivotallyand transversely secured on the other ends of said levers and adapted toengage the fabric, and spring-pressed pawls on the levers'to engage theratchet-wheels on the operatingshaft, substantially as described.

ends to one end of said frame andat its other end to the winding-shaft,a spring-pressed pawl to engage the ratchet-wheel on the winding-shaft,a lever mounted at one of its ends on the operating shaft and adapted toengage with its other end the web or fabric, and a pawl on the lever toengage the ratchetwheel on the operating-shaft, substantially asdescribed.

JAMES H. THAYER. Witnesses:

CHAS. C. TILLMAN, M. A. NYMAN.

